What is the Little Tennessee River Basin?
The Little Tennessee River Basin is named for the Little Tennessee River, which flows north into North Carolina from Georgia. Its major tributaries include the Cullasaja, Nantahala, Tuckasegee and Cheoah rivers. Major lakes in the basin are Fontana, Santeetlah, Nantahala and Glenville. The concrete dam that impounds Fontana Lake is the highest in the eastern United States at 480 feet. The Little Tennessee River flows into the Tennessee River at Lenoir City, Tennessee and it eventually flows to the Gulf of Mexico.
What is a Storymap?
A “storymap” is a web-based, interactive narrative tool, part of ArcGIS StoryMaps, that uses maps, multimedia, and text to tell stories about specific geographic areas and environmental issues, like river basins.
The NC DEQ (North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality), utilizes Storymaps to explain how river basins function, demonstrate the interconnectedness of humans and rivers, and showcase the impact of human actions on water quality.
WATR staff has created this storymap about the Little Tennessee River Basin and the Tuckasegee River to help you learn about the complex, rich, and wonderful watershed we live in.